In English, when an action is the source of difficulty, delay, or persistence, we use phrases like "struggle to bend," "delay in starting," or "rush to leave." In Turkish, certain verbs require their complement—the action you are struggling with or delaying—to be in the locative case ("in/at").
Forming the Locative Infinitive (-makta / -mekte)
To build this form, you simply attach the locative case suffix to the infinitive of the verb. Because the infinitive endings (-mak / -mek) always end in the voiceless consonant k, the locative suffix undergoes consonant mutation and hardens to -ta or -te.
| Infinitive | Locative Infinitive | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|
| bükmek | bükmekte | in bending |
| başlamak | başlamakta | in starting |
| esnetmek | esnetmekte | in stretching |
| olmak | olmakta | in being |
Note: You might recognize -makta / -mekte from the formal continuous tense (where it replaces -ıyor). However, in this structure, it is not a tense marker. It is simply a noun phrase serving as the "location" of your struggle or delay.
Verbs that Take Locative Infinitives
One of the most common verbs requiring this structure—especially in physical therapy or medical contexts—is zorlanmak (to struggle / to have difficulty).
| The patient is still struggling to bend his right knee. | Hasta, sağ dizini bükmekte hâlâ zorlanıyor. |
| How much are you struggling to relax your spine? | Omurganızı gevşetmekte ne kadar zorlanıyorsunuz? |
Other verbs that govern the locative infinitive include gecikmek (to delay or be late) and acele etmek (to rush). You are essentially expressing that you are delayed "in" starting or rushing "in" being discharged.
| We delayed starting the shoulder exercises after the first session. | İlk seanstan sonra omuz egzersizlerine başlamakta geciktik. |
| We will not rush to be discharged; we will apply a gradual treatment. | Taburcu olmakta acele etmeyeceğiz, aşamalı bir tedavi uygulayacağız. |
Similarly, ısrar etmek means "to persist" or "to insist." When you persist in performing a specific action, that action takes the locative suffix.
| Do not persist in being discharged, you have not healed yet. | Taburcu olmakta ısrar etmeyin, henüz iyileşmediniz. |
You can seamlessly combine this structure with other grammar points you know, such as "even though" (-e rağmen) or "because" (çünkü), to build complex sentences about treatment and recovery.
| Even though I struggle to stretch my left wrist, I am not giving up. | Sol bileğimi esnetmekte zorlanmama rağmen pes etmiyorum. |